malaysia

Malaysia Climate

Trek Zone

When Is the Best Time To Visit Malaysia?

The answer to the question of what is the best month to visit Malaysia depends on what you are interested in doing during your stay. Here you can see an overview of each month and its typical weather conditions.

Climate of Malaysia

Malaysia comprises the southern part of the Malay Peninsula and the northern part of the island of Borneo, which are separated by the South China Sea. The entire country lies in the equatorial climate belt, conditioned by cyclonic monsoon winds. Constant weather features include high humidity, abundant rainfall and high temperatures that are almost constant throughout the year. Rainfall amounts range from 2,000 mm - 3,000 mm. The average annual temperature oscillates between 26°C - 30°C. Only in the mountains (e.g., the Crocker Mountains) do temperatures decrease with increasing altitude.

As a result of the monsoon circulation in Malaysia, two seasons can be distinguished: dry season (April-September) and rainy season (October-March), which are slightly different on the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo.

On the east coast of the Malay Peninsula (Kota Bharu, Kuala Terengganu, Taman Negara National Park, Endau Rompin National Park, Redang, Perhentian, Tioman islands), the dry season lasts from April to September. Days are then sunny and hot, and rains occur sporadically. The heaviest rainfall comes from the northeast monsoon, which lasts from October to March.

On the west coast of the Malay Peninsula (Penang, Pangkor Island, Malacca, Langkawi, Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahur, Ipoh, Cameron Highlands), the dry season covers the months of June to mid-September and December to March. One can then enjoy sunny and relatively rain-free weather. Exceptions are mountainous areas, including the mountain station of Cameron Highlands, located at an altitude of about 1,500 meters above sea level; the temperature here rarely exceeds 15°C - 20°C. The rainy season on the west coast occurs in two periods: April-May and October-November. Precipitation is heaviest then and takes the form of brief but violent downpours and thunderstorms.

Borneo

The island is characterized by a tropical climate. It is hot all year round, with average temperatures ranging from 25°C - 32°C. Rainfall is high, oscillating between 3,000 mm - 4,000 mm, and occurs at all times of the year. As a rule, they take the form of intense but short downpours occurring on warm sunny days. Along with precipitation, humidity increases, reaching 80%. Monsoon winds bringing increased precipitation can be expected from December through February.

Temperature records

Lowest

46°F
Cameron Highlands

Highest

104.2°F
Chuping

Climate and Average Weather in Malaysia

General weather conditions each month by city.

  • Kuala Lumpur
  • Langkawi
  • Penang
  • Cameron Highlands
  • Kota Bharu
  • +
  • Malacca
  • Johor Baharu
  • Kota Kinabalu
  • Kuching
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Average temperature (°F)
Average rainfall (in)
RAIN - Days with precipitation
DAY - Average length of day
SUN - Sunshine hours per day (cloudless weather)

Weather Map

Select month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Switch places
Kuala LumpurLangkawiPenangCameron HighlandsKota BharuMalaccaJohor BaharuKota KinabaluKuching

The icons next to the month name indicate the convenience of the date for visiting the selected area/territory/ country. They are only a suggestion and should not be used as the final criterion for selecting your travel date. The season is defined as the time period with the weather favorable for sightseeing (or sunbathing - small island countries) for the average tourist. For countries with a large geographical range, the most touristic places were included.

Where to next? Discover country icon Indonesia, a country in the region worth visiting, or use the destination finder